The organisd labour led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), on Wednesday kept to their vow to protest against the harsh economic difficulties being experienced by citizens as a result of the hasty removal of petrol subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu without any plan to cushion the effect of the removal. The protests which held in Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Akure, Maiduguri among other state capitals were majorly peaceful.

The protesters of organised labour demanded the Federal Government to as a matter of national importance drastically cut the cost of governance for sustainable development.

In Ebonyi, the organised labour made up of the NLC and TUC, stressed that the cut in cost of governance would go a long way in saving more money for the government to take care of the people’s needs.

They demanded an increase in the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N200,000.

Prof Oguguo Egwu, Chairman of the NLC in Ebonyi State, said the peaceful protest was to send an official message to the ruling class on the need to harness issues of the well-being of workers, adding that the protest is not against any individual but to send messages to the leaders.

Egwu further said; “There is need to consider the reduction in fuel hike, reduce school fees and all sorts of hikes to move the nation forward. The workers are weeping. We need a living wage because the minimum wage cannot sustain us anymore. Make our refineries work, allow the poor to breathe, allow workers the ability to access education at a low cost,” he said.

Speaking in turn, comrade Chidi Igboji, Chairman of TUC in the State decried the way citizens are suffering as a result of the high cost of living occasioned caused by fuel subsidy removal and therefore stressed the need to cut the cost of running government for the interest of the poor citizens.

The protest in Abuja, witnessed the gathering of Union leaders that included the President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the National President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Muhammed Ibrahim, representatives of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, National Union of Road Transport Workers that first assembled at the Unity Fountain before proceeding to the National Assembly.

In Lagos, security was fully mobilsed at the rally ground at Ikeja under-bridge ahead of the commencement of the takeoff of the protest rally.

The organized labour protest against astronomical cost of living in the country occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy held in spite of spirited efforts by the federal government and other political players to stop them.

NLC in particular declared that its planned protest against fuel subsidy removal would hold as scheduled and urged Nigerians to ignore the activities of some fifth columnists working assiduously to stop the protests.

The nationwide NLC protest holding in Lagos, Abuja, among others, is to advert government’s attention to the hardship the citizens of Nigerians are passing through on account of removal of fuel subsidy and other anti-people economic policies.